Self-cleaning hair washer and massager



SELF-CLEANING HAIR WASHER AND MASSAGER Filed Aug. 19, 1965 Shoo /-/wa Chou INVENTOR.

B 9mm (ma W 3% United States Patent Office 3,368,554 SELF-CLEANING HAIR WASHER AND MASSAGER Shao Hwa, Chou, 250 W. 105th St., New York, N.Y. 10025 Filed Aug. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 480,932 Claims. (Cl. 12867) The present invention relates to a self-cleaning scalp massager and air washer having a plurality of resilient fingers and a cleaning plate through which the resilient fingers extend. A means is further provided for reciprocating the cleaning plate so as to enable a person utilizing the scalp massager and washer to dislodge any foreign material such as hair or the like from the resilient fingers by effecting a reciprocating movement of the cleaning plate.

A device of the nature described is particularly useful in stimulating the circulation of the blood in the scalp during washing of the head so as to assist in maintaining a healthy and clean scalp in order to lessen the likelihood of the occurrence of dermatological problems such as dandrulf.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a selfcleaning scalp messager and hair washer which is preferably formed of molded plastic components which are adapted to be readily assembled so as to be in substantially water tight relationship thereby precluding the collection of foreign material within the interior of the device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a selfcleaning scalp massager and hair washer which is provided with a cleaning plate so as to facilitate the cleaning of the resilient fingers of the washer.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved self-cleaning sclap massager and hair washer which may be readily disassembled to allow cleaning of all parts as may be necessary to maintain the device in a sanitary condition.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference beind had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a self-cleaning scalp massager and washer embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device of FIGURE 1 showing the various elements of the device and their normal position;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device of FIGURE 1 wherein the device has been actuated to dislodge foreign material from the resilient fingers thereof; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the device of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings a self-cleaning scalp massager and hair washer is indicated generally at and includes a body portion indicated generally at 12. The body portion 12 is characterized by a generally circular central portion 14 having a flat underside 16. A plurality of integral relatively rigid yet resilient fingers 18 project downwardly from the generally flat underside 16 of the body 12.

The body 12 is further provided with a peripheral flange 20 having a portion 22 projecting beneath the generally flat underside 16 of the body 12 and a portion 24 extending upwardly from the central portion of the body 12.

The self-cleaning scalp massager and hair washer 10 is further provided with a cleaning plate 26 formed of a relatively rigid material, which cleaning plate 26 is of 3,368,554 Patented Feb; 13, 1968 a generally flat disk-like copfiguration and is provided with a plurality of apertures such as at 28 equal in number to the number of resilient fingers 18. The cleaning plate 26 is adapted to be slidably engaged on the fingers 18 and the apertures 28 are so sized as to just slide over the fingers 18 thereby facilitating the removal of substantially all foreign material adhering to the exterior surfaces of the fingers 18.

The cleaning plate 26 is normally biased into the position shown in FIGURE 2 wherein it is nested within a recess provided by the downwardly projecting portion 22 of the peripheral flange 20 by virtue of the fact that the washer is provided with a spring member 30 having a generally disk-like normally convex configuration which is formed out of a resilient plastic such as polyethylene for example. The spring member 30 is maintained in assembled relationship with the body 12 of the washer 10 by virtue of the fact that its outer periphery is engaged in an annular groove 32 provided in the inwardly facing portion of the upstanding portion 24 of the peripheral flange 20 as may be best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The central portion 14 of the body 12 and the spring member 30 are provided with centrally disposed apertures such as at 34 and 36 respectively. The apertures 34 and 36 slidably receive a plunger member 38 which is removably secured at its lower end 40* to the cleaning plate 26 by virtue of the fact that it is threadably, or otherwise removably secured therein. The central apertures 34 and 36 are preferably sized so as to sealingly contact the plunger 38 to substantially preclude the passage of Water and foreign material into the space defined by the upper surface of the central portion 14 of the body 12 and the underside of the convex spring member 30'. The plunger 38 is provided with a spring member 30 engaging abutment 42 which is rigidly secured to or integral with the plunger 38 which is so positioned to normally bias the cleaning plate 26 against the underside 16 of the central portion 14 of the body member 12 as shown in FIGURE 2.

As seen best in FIGS. 1 and 2 the plunger 38 is preferably provided with a bulbous top portion 44 the peripheral edge of which is provided with corrugations 46 as is the peripheral edge of the flange 20 of body member 12.

It will be understood of course that the several elements comprising the self-cleaning scalp massager and hair washer 10 are preferably molded from suitable plastic such as polyethylene, styrene, rigid vinyl or the like. In operation it will be understood of course that the person utilizing the self-cleaning scalp massager and washer 10 merely grasps the washer 10 with the palm of the hand contiguous with the convex upper surface of the spring member 30 with the plunger 38 engaged between two adjacent fingers.

As required, the body 12 of the washer 10 may be grasped in one hand and the top portion 44 of the plunger 38 depressed into the position shown in FIGURE 3 thereby moving the plate 26 downwardly along the resilient fingers 18 so as to dislodge substantially all foreign material adhering to the outer surface of the resilient fingers 18. By releasing the plunger 38 the resilient spring member 30 will return the cleaning plate 26 to its normal position shown in FIGURE 2 wherein the cleaning plate 26 is in contiguous relationship to the underside 16- of the central portion 14 of the body member 12.

It may therefore be seen that there has been provided an improved self-cleaning scalp massager and hair washer which is so constructed so as to facilitate retaining the Washer 10 in a sanitary condition with a minimum of effort.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A self-cleaning scalp massager and hair washer comprising a body member, said body member having a generally circular central portion, said central portion having a fiat underside, a plurality of resilient fingers projecting downwardly from the underside of said central portion, a centrally disposed vertical aperture through the central portion of said body member, said body member including an integral peripheral flange having a first portion projecting downwardly below the underside of said central portion of said body member and a second portion projecting upwardly from said central portion of said body member, a cleaning plate normally contiguous with the underside of said central portion of said body member, said cleaning plate having perforations through which said fingers extend, said cleaning plate being slidable on said fingers, said cleaning plate including a centrally disposed upwardly facing coupling means in alignment with said central aperture in said body member, an annular groove in the inwardly disposed face of said upwardly projecting portion of said peripheral flange, a normally convex disklike spring member, said spring member having a pcripheral edge complementary to and removably retained in said annular groove, a centrally disposed vertical aperture in said spring member in alignment with said vertical aperture and said body member, a plunger member having a first and a second end, said first end of said plunger member being removably coupled with said coupling means and said cleaning plate, said second end of said plunger means slidably received in said apertures in said body member and said spring member and extending upwardly above said spring member, a spring member engaging abutment integral with said plunger, said engaged stop being positioned so as to coact with said spring member to normally bias said cleaning plate against the underside of said central portion of said body member.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said spring engaging abutment member is intermediate of said top and said bottom ends of said plunger member and said top end of said plunger includes a bulbous portion integral therewith.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said peripheral flange and said bulbous top portion are provided with vertically disposed corrugations on the outer periphery thereof.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said apertures in said cleaning plate are sized so as to contact said fingers along substantially the entire length thereof during sliding movement of said cleaning plate so as to dislodge substantially all foreign material adhering to the outer surface of said fingers.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said central apertures of said body member and said spring member are sized so as to sealingly engage said plunger member so as to substantially preclude the introduction of liquid into the cavity defined by the upper side of said central portion of said body member and the underside of said normally convexed spring member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,865,039 12/1958 Kaye et a1. 15--l84 2,881,460 4/1959 Baudouin 15-184 3,110,053 11/1963 Surabian 15-1S9 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SELF-CLEANING SCALP MASSAGER AND HAIR WASHER COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR CENTRAL PORTION, SAID CENTRAL PORTION HAVING A FLAT UNDERSIDE, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT FINGERS PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION, A CENTRALLY DISPOSED VERTICAL APERTURE THROUGH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER INCLUDING AN INTEGRAL PERIPHERAL FLANGE HAVING A FIRST PORTION PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY BELOW THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND A SECOND PORTION PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER, A CLEANING PLATE NORMALLY CONTIGUOUS WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID CLEANING PLATE HAVING PERFORATIONS THROUGH WHICH SAID FINGERS EXTEND, SAID CLEANING PLATE BEING SLIDABLE ON SAID FINGERS, SAID CLEANING PLATE INCLUDING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED UPWARDLY FACING COUPLING MEANS IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CENTRAL APERTURE IN SAID BODY MEMBER, AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN THE INWARDLY DISPOSED FACE OF SAID UPWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE, A NORMALLY CONVEX DISKLIKE SPRING MEMBER, SAID SPRING MEMBER HAVING A PERIPHERAL EDGE COMPLEMENTARY TO AND REMOVABLY RETAINED IN SAID ANNULAR GROOVE, A CENTRALLY DISPOSED VERTICAL APERTURE IN SAID SPRING MEMBER IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID VERTICAL APERTURE AND SAID BODY MEMBER, A PLUNGER MEMBER HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND END, SAID FIRST END OF SAID PLUNGER MEMBER BEING REMOVABLY COUPLED WITH SAID COUPLING MEANS AND SAID CLEANING PLATE, SAID SECOND END OF SAID PLUNGER MEANS SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID APERTURES IN SAID BODY MEMBER AND SAID SPRING MEMBER AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY ABOVE SAID SPRING MEMBER, A SPRING MEMBER ENGAGING ABUTMENT INTEGRAL WITH SAID PLUNGER, SAID ENGAGED STOP BEING POSITIONED SO AS TO COACT WITH SAID SPRING MEMBER TO NORMALLY BIAS SAID CLEANING PLATE AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER. 